


Work Out The Bad Blood

by RadioactivePaws



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Nicole is a precious lil bean, Wynonna and Waverly are emotional sisters, mentions of the shootout, small injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:24:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7307521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioactivePaws/pseuds/RadioactivePaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the shoot out, Waverly has a bit of a breakdown and Nicole is there to help as she also tries to start to explain some things to Wynonna</p><p>This is set in canon tho there's also quite a bit of canon divergence with how the whole things lays out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Work Out The Bad Blood

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd and was written on mobile at like 1 a.m. So i hope it's okay
> 
> Hope ya like it

No one asks her much how she is. Nicole does, eyes shining with worry mixed with an affection so deep it both thrills and scares her. 

In the moments when she’s alone, however, when Nicole isn’t there it’s like a hole has been ripped in her chest. It’s an emptiness she hasn’t experienced and it’s not something she knows how to explain.

Now when half the time Willa is setting off alarms in her head and the other half, shes trying not to disintegrate as she watches Wynonna slip farther and father away from her towards Willa. She knows it’s not real, deep down she knows, but it’s not something she can help.

Waverly Earp has never been one to wallow in self pity and yet she finds herself sitting on the couch with a bottle of whiskey and tears staining her cheeks.

The door opens almost like a punch to the gut, laughter trickling in even in the aftermath of the shoot out.

It’s almost too much in that moment. Hearing Wynonna’s chuckle as she sets peacemaker down on the counter, Willa’s voice drifting through the house accompanied by an amused lilt that never seems present with Waverly.

Their words don’t make sense, everything around her simply a blur as, in that moment, the homestead feels a lot less like home and a lot more like a broken piece inside of her chest. 

The sudden want for Nicole, the need to have her arms wrapped tight around her, is so intense that a sharp gasp leaves Waverly’s lips before she can silence it. 

Wynonna is next to her within the next second and Waverly can’t decide if the warmth in her chest is happiness or anger. If she had kept quiet, would Wynonna have even noticed her at all? If she hadn’t made a sound, would anyone have checked on the sister who got shot?

"Waves? Hey are you alright?” Wynonna looks worried but the shine Waverly sees is so different from Nicole, it almost hurts to breathe. “Does your side hurt?” A soft hand moves towards her but Waverly jerks back, a strangled sound leaving her throat as Wynonna looks at her in surprise. “Babygirl, it’s okay, it’s just me.”

It’s not okay. Waverly can see Willa in the background looking bored at her pain, looking through her as if she wasn’t even there. Maybe she wasn’t, maybe all of this was a fever dream and she really was still dying there on the floor from a bullet to the gut.

Would they care then? The question is almost too painful to consider but it sits in Waverly’s chest like a rock, weighing her down as she curls tightly into herself.

The pain in her side is stark but she barely considers it as she cries into her legs, body trembling against Wynonna’s hovering hands.

She doesn’t know what she says, really. It could have been any mix of help me and i want Nicole and it hurts. All Waverly is aware of outside of her tightly wound body is a sound of slightly confused confirmation mixed with an aggrivated sigh, the noises turning into soft words that she can’t make out until it all melts into silence.

By the time hands are gently soothing over her arms, Waverly’s muscles feel like stone and her nails are digging deep into her biceps. She hears a soft sigh of a breath followed by warm lips being pressed to the top of her head.

“Waverly?” Nicole’s voice washes over her like a warm wave, her body trembling again as she tries to loosen a little bit. “I’m here, it’s going to be okay. Baby, you have to let go of your arms okay?” There is such a heavy note of concern in her tone, such an open invitation to lean on her, that Waverly almost can’t stand it.

Lifting her head up, Waverly slowly unfurls until she can throw herself into Nicole’s arms. Her muscles are stiff and her arms and side burn but she feels so safe in that hold, in the way that Nicole gently rubs her back. Another kiss is pressed to her temple and Waverly feels dizzy at the way her heart speeds even as she calms. They settle into the couch, Nicole laying back with Waverly curled on top of her with her hands clutching Nicole as if she were her only anchor to this world.

“What happened?” Nicole’s words don’t push for an answer, they simply open the way for her to explain if she wants. The hold around her tightens slightly as she sighs, Waverly’s entire body shuddering at the warm feel of Nicole protectively settling a hand over where the bandage on her side is. “Wynonna told me about the shoot out. Well, I heard about it at the station but she told me you got hit. What happened after?”

Swallowing thick, Waverly tries to wrangle in her thoughts. “I got lost.” There’s a hollow tone to her voice that startles even her and the quick pull in of air across the room tells her that Wynonna is still there. 

"Everything keeps moving at mach speed and today I got shot and both of my sisters left me alone at home for a few hours. Dolls left after he knew I was going to be alright to try to find where they went.” Those arms tighten again and Waverly can almost see the glare Nicole is giving Wynonna. “I know it was important, more important than making sure my small wound wasn’t fatal, but I can’t help but wonder if it even mattered that I was bleeding on the floor.”

Theres another soft noise and then Wynonna is right there, her face streaked with tears rarely seen and her eyes filled with a pain Waverly had never seen. 

"It hurt me to leave you there. I was so torn, Waves, I could feel myself split in two.” Wynonna’s voice was steady even as her hands shook with the weight of what Waverly just said. 

"I know, I do, I mean I told you to go.” Peeking over Nicole’s shoulder, Waverly feels brave and more like she can feel safe in the homestead again. “I was scared, Wynonna. Nothing here has felt right since..” Taking a deep breath, Waverly closed her eyes against the possible reactions to her next words. “Since Willa came back. Nothing here has felt like home.”

“Waverly, look at me.” Slowly, she opened her eyes to meet Wynonna’s, seeing none of the anger she expected. “This will always be your home and you will always be my baby sister. I need you, you know? You keep me steady, Waves, you’re the one who makes it all possible and makes it all okay. I love you, ya know.” 

Wynonna coughed, looking to the side after a moment as she stood with her cheeks dusted pink. This felt like the last heart to heart they had, awkward even if it felt right. 

“I need a drink.” Waverly laughed slightly against Nicole at Wynonna’s flat tone, her eyes following her sister as she left to go to the kitchen. This felt normal, this felt more like them, but the knowledge of Willa still upstairs kept her nerves on fire.

Nicole’s hands tapping her shoulders softly brought Waverly’s attention back to her, that ever affectionate gaze still holding onto that sliver of worry. “Are you going to be okay?”

That warmth flooded her once more as she slowly nodded. Then shook her head. Then eventually settled for shrugging. Neutral was the best option in this moment.

“I don’t feel okay here but I don’t want to leave Wynonna alone with her.” Her own whisper is enough to bring tears back to her eyes. No matter what happens between them, Waverly will always do what she can to help Wynonna. 

Nicole’s hands are the soft warm balm that sooths her nerves as they continue to rub her arms and back. “I’ll stay if you want me to, anything you need Waverly.”

It’s in these moments, the ones where even when Waverly feels small and confused, Nicole seems to so easily keep her head above water. 

The words she tries to get out get stuck behind a lump of emotion set in her throat. She’s just so tired. So instead, Waverly simply nods and holds onto Nicole tightly as she lifts her up. They make a stop in the kitchen, Wynonna insisting she help clean and redress the wound on her side.

It feels almost cathartic, Wynonna’s little smile and wink. Waverly feels a little spark of warm relief and love in her chest as she hugs Wynonna before being whisked away by Nicole once more.

This time, it feels almost entirely too domestic how Nicole simply cleans the little nail shaped cuts on her arm. She’s soft and gentle and Waverly is so lost in her that she doesn’t realize she’s been tucked into bed until Nicole is settled right up against her. 

There’s so much to be said, so much to do, but Waverly is weary and Nicole is safe and warm against her.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm taking promps over at my tumblr: werewolfxena
> 
> Also I appreciate tips if you can spare them over at my paypal: m.jones826@yahoo.com


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